The White House has fired at least three National Security Council (NSC) staffers after far-right activist Laura Loomer urged President Donald Trump to remove officials she claimed were disloyal. Loomer, known for her 9/11 conspiracy theories and controversial remarks, met with Trump on Wednesday and reportedly presented opposition research on several NSC members.
Loomer targets national security officials
According to The New York Times, Loomer attended a 30-minute Oval Office meeting where she criticised officials in front of their boss, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. She has particularly targeted Deputy National Security Adviser Alex Wong, questioning his loyalty because his wife worked as a Justice Department lawyer under Democratic administrations.
Loomer even accused Wong, without evidence, of adding The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a sensitive Signal chat as part of a foreign operation to embarrass the Trump administration on behalf of China.
While Wong was not among those dismissed on Wednesday, sources told CNN he could be out as soon as today.
Staffers fired after security leak
The firings come amid a national security scandal involving Signal group chats. Waltz and his team reportedly created at least 20 different Signal chats to coordinate classified work, but one of these groups accidentally included a journalist from The Atlantic, leading to a major security breach ahead of a deadly strike in Yemen.
Who are the three National Security Council (NSC) staffers who were fired?
Following the meeting with Loomer, the White House fired three NSC officials reportedly involved in the leak:
- Brian Walsh, Director of Intelligence
- Thomas Boodry, Senior Director for Legislative Affairs
- David Feith, Senior Director overseeing tech and national security
Who is Laura Loomer?
Loomer is a well-known figure in Trump’s MAGA circles, though her extreme statements about Kamala Harris previously led to her being sidelined from his campaign. Despite this, her influence remains evident, as her meeting with Trump was shortly before his ‘Liberation Day’ announcement.
She has run for Congress twice as a Republican, losing in Florida’s 21st district in 2020 and Florida’s 11th district primary in 2022. Despite her defeats, Trump has praised her as a “free spirit” and endorsed her 2020 campaign.
Following the meeting, Loomer did not comment on the Oval Office discussions, but the three firings suggest she still holds sway in Trump’s inner circle.
(With inputs from agencies)